Monitoring device, monitoring method, and program recording medium

ABSTRACT

A monitoring device is configured to include an image data acquiring unit, a detecting unit, and a notifying unit. The image data acquiring unit acquires image data obtained by imaging a work area, and information relating to the position in which the image data were captured. The detecting unit detects, from the image data, at least either an unsafe behavior of a worker in the work area, or an unsafe environment around the worker, as an unsafe condition. The notifying unit notifies a terminal of the unsafe condition detected by the detecting unit, and the information relating to the position in which the unsafe condition is detected.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to worker safety management, andparticularly relates to a monitoring technique using image data.

BACKGROUND ART

In an environment such as a construction site where many workers performvarious types of work for each process, safety monitoring of work ishighly important. However, it is difficult to continuously grasp thebehavior of each worker by visual monitoring by the supervisor.Therefore, a technique for performing safety monitoring based on imagedata captured in a work area has been developed. As such a technologyfor performing safety monitoring based on image data, for example, atechnology such as PTL 1 is disclosed.

PTL 1 relates to a safety management system that manages behaviors ofworkers. The safety management system of PTL 1 determines whether workat a high place by a worker is appropriately performed according to awork procedure manual by analyzing an image obtained by imaging areference object and a hand by a camera worn by the worker. The safetymanagement system of PTL 1 notifies the worker and the administratorthat an unsafe behavior is performed when it is determined that work isnot performed in a correct procedure. PTL 2 discloses an analysis systemthat estimates an occurrence factor of an accident.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

-   [PTL 1] JP 2018-173957 A-   [PTL 2] JP 2011-165120 A

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

However, the technique of PTL 1 is not sufficient in the followingpoints. The safety management system of PTL 1 determines whether thework is performed according to the work procedure manual based on theoverlap between the reference object and the hand of the worker.However, in PTL 1, since the administrator cannot grasp the position ofthe worker, it is not possible to grasp at which position the workerexists in a wide construction site or the like and an unsafe behavior isperformed. Therefore, in the technique of PTL 1, the administratorcannot obtain appropriate information relating to the position and stateof the worker, and there is a possibility that the administrator cannotsufficiently take safety measures for the worker according to the worksituation and the surrounding environment. The technique of PTL 2estimates the cause of occurrence of past accidents, but cannot copewith the current state.

In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present inventionis to provide a monitoring device or the like capable of makingnotification of appropriate information necessary for safety managementof a worker.

Solution to Problem

In order to solve the above problem, a monitoring device of the presentinvention includes an image data acquiring unit, a detecting unit, and anotifying unit. The image data acquiring unit acquires image dataobtained by imaging a work area, and information relating to theposition at which the image data is captured. The detecting unitdetects, from the image data, at least either an unsafe behavior of aworker in the work area, or an unsafe environment around the worker, asan unsafe condition. Specifically, the unsafe behavior of the workerrefers to a behavior having a high risk of occurrence of an accident,such as one-person work by a worker. The unsafe environment around theworker refers to an environment in which an accident may occur, such asa state in which the workers work densely. The notifying unit notifies aterminal of the unsafe condition detected by the detecting unit, and theinformation relating to the position at which the unsafe condition isdetected.

A monitoring system of the present invention includes an imaging devicethat captures an image of a work area and the above-described monitoringdevice. The image data acquiring means of the monitoring device acquiresimage data of the work area captured by the imaging device.

A monitoring method of the present invention includes acquiring imagedata obtained by imaging a work area and information relating to aposition at which the image data is captured, detecting, from the imagedata, at least one of an unsafe behavior of a worker in the work areaand an unsafe environment around the worker as an unsafe condition, andnotifying a terminal of information relating to the detected unsafecondition and the information relating to a position at which the unsafecondition is detected.

The program recording medium of the present invention records amonitoring program. A monitoring program causes a computer to executeprocessing of acquiring image data obtained by imaging a work area andinformation relating to a position at which the image data is captured,processing of detecting, from the image data, at least one of an unsafebehavior of a worker in the work area and an unsafe environment aroundthe worker as an unsafe condition, and processing of notifying aterminal of information relating the detected unsafe condition andinformation relating to a position at which the unsafe condition isdetected.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to notify appropriateinformation necessary for safety management of a worker.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of amonitoring system according to a first example embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a monitoring deviceaccording to the first example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a work area according tothe first example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation flow of the monitoringdevice according to the first example embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of notification output bythe monitoring device according to the first example embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation flow of the monitoringdevice according to the first example embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a report generated by themonitoring device according to the first example embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a report generated by themonitoring device according to the first example embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 9 is a view schematically illustrating an example of a workingstate in the first example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a view schematically illustrating an example of a workingstate in the first example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a view schematically illustrating an example of a workingstate in the first example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a view schematically illustrating an example of a workingstate in the first example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a view schematically illustrating an example of a workingstate in the first example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a view schematically illustrating an example of a workingstate in the first example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a view schematically illustrating an example of a workingstate in the first example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a view schematically illustrating an example of a workingstate in the first example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a view schematically illustrating an example of a workingstate in the first example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a view schematically illustrating an example of a workingstate in the first example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of amonitoring system according to a second example embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a monitoring deviceaccording to the second example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an operation flow of a monitoringdevice according to the second example embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating an example of notification output bythe monitoring device according to the second example embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating an operation flow of a monitoringdevice according to a second example embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating an example of a report generated bythe monitoring device according to the second example embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating an example of a report generated bythe monitoring device according to the second example embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a monitoring deviceaccording to a third example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation flow of amonitoring device according to the third example embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 28 is a view illustrating another configuration example of theexample embodiment of the present invention.

EXAMPLE EMBODIMENT First Example Embodiment

A first example embodiment of the present invention will be described indetail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustratinga configuration of a monitoring system of the present exampleembodiment. The monitoring system of the present example embodimentincludes a monitoring device 10, an administrator terminal 20, and animaging device 30. N imaging devices 30 of the imaging device 30-1 tothe imaging device 30-N are provided. Only one imaging device 30 may beprovided.

The monitoring system of the present example embodiment is a system thatmonitors work safety at a construction site based on image data.

A configuration of the monitoring device 10 will be described. FIG. 2 isa diagram illustrating a configuration of the monitoring device 10according to the present example embodiment. The monitoring device 10includes an image data acquiring unit 11, a detecting unit 12, anotifying unit 13, a report generating unit 14, and a storage unit 15.

The image data acquiring unit 11 acquires from the imaging device 30 theimage data, the date and time when the image data is captured, andinformation relating to the position where the image data is captured.

The detecting unit 12 analyzes the image data and detects an unsafecondition of the worker. The unsafe condition refers to a state in whichthe worker may be in danger. The unsafe condition includes an unsafebehavior of the worker or an unsafe environment around the worker.

The unsafe behavior refers to, for example, one-person work by a worker,approach to a construction machine, entry to an entry prohibited area,work in an unstable situation at a stepladder, or non-use of a safetybelt. The unsafe surrounding environment refers to, for example, asituation where the surroundings of the worker are dangerous, asituation where the probability of occurrence of an accident is high, ora situation where there is an opening on the floor.

In order to detect the unsafe condition, the reference data is set foreach behavior of the worker or each surrounding environment. Thedetecting unit 12 detects the motion of the worker from the image data,and identifies the unsafe condition by comparing the feature of thedetected motion with the reference data set for each unsafe condition.

When the behavior or the environment that is the unsafe condition isidentified, the detecting unit 12 transmits to the notifying unit 13information indicating the identified behavior or environment, imagedata at the time of detection, position information about the worker orthe like who is the detection target of the unsafe condition, andinformation about the detection date and time as the detection result.The position information may include height information. The detectingunit 12 calculates the position information about the worker or the likeby triangulation based on the position information about the imagingdevice 30, the information about the imaging azimuth, and theinformation about the reference point in the image, which are added tothe image data and input from the imaging device 30. The positioninformation about the worker or the like who is the detection target ofthe unsafe condition may be set using the name of the work area or theprocess name. When calculating the position of the worker who performedthe unsafe behavior or the position of the surrounding environment, thedetecting unit 12 may calculate the position of the worker or the likein the height direction and the height of the installation object or theconstruction machine in the work area.

The notifying unit 13 transmits the detection result by the detectingunit 12 of the unsafe condition to the administrator terminal 20. Thenotifying unit 13 transmits to the administrator terminal 20 theinformation relating to the unsafe condition, the image data when theunsafe condition is detected, the position information relating to theworker or the like who is the detection target of the unsafe condition,and the information relating to the detection date and time.

The report generating unit 14 generates statistical data of thedetection result of the unsafe condition and generates a report foroutput based on the statistical data. The report generating unit 14transmits the generated report to the administrator terminal 20.

Each processing in the image data acquiring unit 11, the detecting unit12, the notifying unit 13, and the report generating unit 14 isperformed, for example, by a central processing unit (CPU) executing acomputer program. The image data acquiring unit 11, the detecting unit12, the notifying unit 13, and the report generating unit 14 may beformed using a semiconductor device such as a field programmable gatearray (FPGA).

The storage unit 15 stores information relating to the unsafe conditiondetected by the detecting unit 12, an occurrence place, an occurrencedate and time, and image data when the unsafe condition is detected. Thestorage unit 15 is formed using, for example, a nonvolatilesemiconductor storage device. The storage unit 15 may be formed by astorage device such as a hard disk drive or a combination of a pluralityof types of storage devices.

The administrator terminal 20 acquires the detection result and thereport of the unsafe condition from the monitoring device 10. Theadministrator terminal 20 displays the acquired detection result andreport of the unsafe condition on the display device. The administratorterminal 20 may request the detection result and the report of theunsafe condition from the monitoring device 10 and acquire the detectionresult and the report of the unsafe condition as a response to therequest. The administrator terminal 20 may transmit monitoringconditions such as a place and time to be monitored to the monitoringdevice 10.

The imaging device 30 is a movable device having an imaging function anda communication function. The imaging device 30 is disposed at aposition where image data of the work area to be monitored can beacquired. Two reference points are installed together with the imagingdevice 30. The two reference points are disposed at positions whereimaging can be performed from the imaging device 30. Informationrelating to the positions and heights of the two reference points isinput to the monitoring device 10 in advance. The two reference pointsare used to identify the position of the worker or the like from theimage data. The two reference points may include characteristicpositions in the work area such as a corner portion that can beidentified by image analysis. A plurality of imaging devices 30 may beinstalled in one work area, or a single imaging device may be installed.In a case where a plurality of imaging devices 30 is installed in onework area, the imaging devices 30 may be installed in such a way as toset other imaging devices as reference points. In a case where anotherimaging device 30 is installed as the reference point, the positioninformation acquired by each imaging device 30 can be used as theposition information about the reference point.

The imaging device 30 transmits image data, imaging positioninformation, imaging azimuth information, and imaging date and timeinformation to the monitoring device 10 via the network. The imagingdevice 30 transmits information relating to the height of the imagingdevice 30 from the ground contact surface to the monitoring device 10.The height from the ground contact surface of the imaging device 30 iscalculated by correcting the height obtained from the GNSS using thegeoid height. A measurement result may be used as the height of theimaging device 30 from the ground contact surface. The informationrelating to the height of the imaging device 30 from the ground contactsurface using the measurement result may be input to the imaging device30 by a worker, for example. Information relating to the height of theimaging device 30 from the ground contact surface may be directly inputto the monitoring device 10 by a worker. The imaging device 30 maytransmit the information about the imaging position, the informationabout the imaging azimuth, and the information about the height from theground contact surface only when the imaging position and the imagingazimuth are changed such as the time of the start of operation, the timeof movement, or the like. The imaging device 30 may directly performradio communication with the monitoring device 10.

The imaging device 30 includes, for example, a camera capable ofcapturing an image in a visible region. The imaging device 30 mayinclude a camera that captures an image in the infrared region, or acamera that captures an image in the visible region and in the infraredregion. The camera and the communication unit of the imaging device 30may be formed as an integrated module, or the camera and thecommunication unit may be formed as separate modules and connected toeach other. The imaging device 30 may include a smartphone or a tabletterminal device having an imaging function and a communication function.

The imaging device 30 acquires the position information using, forexample, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The imaging device30 detects an azimuth in a direction in which imaging is performed bythe magnetic sensor. The position information and the orientationinformation may be input to the imaging device 30 by a worker whoinstalls the imaging device 30.

An operation when the monitoring device 10 detects the unsafe conditionand notifies the administrator terminal 20 of the detected unsafecondition in the monitoring system of the present example embodimentwill be described. In the following description, a case where an unsafecondition is detected in a construction site divided into four sectionsas illustrated in FIG. 3 will be described as an example. FIG. 3 is adiagram schematically illustrating division of the work area at aconstruction site. In the example of FIG. 3 , the work area is dividedinto four work areas of an area A, an area B, an area C, and an area D.It is assumed that a work process A is performed in the area A, a workprocess B is performed in the area B, a work process C is performed inthe area C. and a work process D is performed in the area D. It isassumed that an imaging device 30-1 is installed in the work area A, animaging device 30-2 is installed in the work area B, an imaging device30-3 is installed in the work area C. and an imaging device 30-4 isinstalled in the work area D. In the example of FIG. 3 , the work areais disposed in the planar direction, but the work area may behierarchized in the upper position or in the underground direction ofthe building.

First, an operation when the monitoring device 10 detects the unsafecondition and notifies the administrator terminal 20 of the occurrenceof the unsafe condition will be described with reference to FIG. 4 .FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation flow when the monitoringdevice 10 detects the unsafe condition and notifies the information thatthe unsafe condition has occurred.

The imaging device 30 captures a moving image in the work area totransmit captured image data to the monitoring device 10. The imagingdevice 30 adds information about the imaging position, the imagingazimuth, and the imaging date and time to transmit the image data to themonitoring device 10.

The image data acquiring unit 11 of the monitoring device 10 acquiresthe image data, the position information, the orientation information,and the imaging date and time information transmitted from the imagingdevice 30 (step S11). When the image data acquiring unit 11 acquiresimage data, the detecting unit 12 determines whether an unsafecondition, that is, an unsafe behavior of the worker or an unsafesurrounding environment is included in the image data. Specifically, thedetecting unit 12 detects the motion of the worker in the image data,and compares the motion with the reference data indicating the featureof the motion of the person registered for each unsafe condition. Whenthe reference data indicating any feature of the unsafe conditionmatches the motion of the worker or the feature of the surroundingenvironment, the detecting unit 12 determines that the unsafe conditionhas occurred.

When the unsafe condition is detected from the image data (step S12),the detecting unit 12 calculates the position of the worker or thesurrounding environment for which the unsafe condition is detected. Whenthe position of the worker or the like for which the unsafe condition isdetected is calculated, the detecting unit 12 stores information aboutthe detected unsafe condition in the storage unit 15 as a history of thedetection result (step S13). Specifically, the detecting unit 12 storesin the storage unit 15 the detection result, that is, the informationrelating to the detected unsafe condition, the position where the unsafecondition has occurred, the occurrence date and time of the unsafecondition, and the image data in association with each other.

When the detecting unit 12 stores the detection result of the unsafecondition as a history, the notifying unit 13 transmits to theadministrator terminal 20 the information relating to the unsafecondition, the occurrence position of the unsafe condition, theoccurrence date and time of the unsafe condition, and the image data tomake notification of the detection result (step S14).

Upon receiving the information relating to the unsafe condition, theoccurrence position of the unsafe condition, the occurrence date andtime of the unsafe condition, and the image data, the administratorterminal 20 displays the detection result of the unsafe condition. Theadministrator of the construction site manages and instructs the workerbased on the detection result of the unsafe condition acquired from theadministrator terminal 20.

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a screenwhen the administrator terminal 20 displays the detection result of theunsafe condition received from the monitoring device 10 on the displaydevice. FIG. 5 illustrates a map of a construction site, and illustratesan example of a case where an unsafe condition of entry of a worker intoa prohibited area occurs in the work area B on the map. In the exampleof FIG. 5 , “ENTRY INTO PROHIBITED AREA HAS OCCURRED” is displayed inthe work area B where the unsafe condition has occurred.

Next, in the monitoring system of the present example embodiment, anoperation when statistical processing of the unsafe condition detectedby the monitoring device 10 is performed and a report is output will bedescribed. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation flow when themonitoring device 10 generates the report of the unsafe condition.

When the report generation request is input, the report generating unit14 starts generating a report of the detection result of the unsafecondition. When the generation of the report is started, the reportgenerating unit 14 reads the history of the detection result from thestorage unit 15 (step S21).

When acquiring the history of the detection result, the reportgenerating unit 14 generates statistical data of the detection result(step S22).

For example, the report generating unit 14 aggregates the total numberof times of detection of the unsafe condition and the number of times ofdetection of the unsafe condition for each work area, and generatesstatistical data. After generating the statistical data, the reportgenerating unit 14 generates a report based on the statistical data(step S23). FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example ofa report generated by the report generating unit 14. In the example ofFIG. 7 , a report in which the number of occurrences of unsafeconditions, the number of occurrences of each unsafe condition, and thenumber of occurrences for each work area for one month are described isgenerated. In FIG. 7 , an underline of the number of occurrences foreach work area indicates an example in which a button for displaying adetailed history is set.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a report illustrating adetailed history of the one-person work performed in the work area A inFIG. 7 . FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a report including informationrelating to the date and time when the one-person work has occurred andbuttons for displaying image data obtained by imaging the one-personwork.

After generating the report, the report generating unit 14 transmits thegenerated report to the administrator terminal 20 (step S24). Whenreceiving the report, the administrator terminal 20 displays thereceived report on the display device.

An example of detection of the unsafe condition by the monitoring device10 will be described more specifically.

(Detection of One-Person Work)

An example of detection of one-person work by a worker will bedescribed. The one-person work refers to a state in which an accident orthe like cannot be immediately found or handled because there is noother worker around. The detecting unit 12 monitors the image data ofeach area, and detects that the one-person work has occurred when thetime during which the worker works by one person has elapsed for apreset time or more. FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically illustrating anexample in which the worker A performs the one-person work. In theexample of FIG. 9 , the detecting unit 12 determines that one-personwork has occurred when the state in which the worker A detected in thework area is alone is longer than or equal to a preset time.

The time for determining that the worker is working alone is set to 15minutes, for example. The time for determining that the worker isworking alone may be other than 15 minutes.

When the occurrence of the one-person work is detected, the detectingunit 12 stores in the storage unit 15 information indicating that theone-person work has occurred, the occurrence date and time of theone-person work, the occurrence area, and the image data when theone-person work has been detected in association with each other. Thenotifying unit 13 transmits, to the administrator terminal 20,information indicating that the one-person work has occurred as theunsafe behavior, the occurrence area, the occurrence date and time, andimage data when the one-person work has been detected.

(Detection of Approach to Construction Machine)

An example of detection of approach of the worker to the constructionmachine will be described. The detecting unit 12 monitors the image dataof each area, and monitors the construction machine that is performingthe operation and the worker. For example, the detecting unit 12 detectsthe operation of the construction machine according to the regularity ofthe operation. For example, the detecting unit 12 may determine that theconstruction machine exists when the object of the color of theconstruction machine main body is equal to or larger than a preset size.FIG. 10 illustrates an example in which a construction machine exists ina work area where a worker A and a worker B are working.

The detecting unit 12 determines that an unsafe condition of approach tothe construction machine has occurred when the worker approaches withinan area set in advance for the size of the construction machine. In theexample of FIG. 10 , the worker B is present in a dangerous entry areaaround the construction machine indicated by a broken line. Therefore,the detecting unit 12 detects that an unsafe condition of approach tothe construction machine has occurred.

When the approach to the construction machine is detected, the detectingunit 12 stores, in the storage unit 15, the information indicating thatthe approach to the construction machine has occurred, the date and timewhen the approach to the construction machine has occurred, theoccurrence area, and the image data when the approach to theconstruction machine has been detected in association with each other.The notifying unit 13 transmits, to the administrator terminal 20,information indicating that approach to the construction machine hasoccurred, the occurrence area, the occurrence date and time, and imagedata when the approach to the construction machine has been detected.

(Entry into Entry Prohibited Area)

An example of detection of entry to the entry prohibited area will bedescribed. The detecting unit 12 monitors the image data of each areaand monitors the presence or absence of a worker in the entry prohibitedarea. The detecting unit 12 determines the entry prohibited area by, forexample, identifying a floor display indicating the entry prohibitedarea or a pole indicating the entry prohibited area from the image data.

Next, when the worker enters the entry prohibited area, the detectingunit 12 determines that an unsafe condition of entry into the entryprohibited area has occurred. FIG. 11 illustrates an example in which anentry prohibited area indicated by a broken line is set in the work areawhere the worker A and the worker B are working. In the example of FIG.11 , the worker B exists in the entry prohibited area indicated by thebroken line. Therefore, the detecting unit 12 detects that an unsafecondition of entry into the entry prohibited area has occurred.

When the entry into the entry prohibited area is detected, the detectingunit 12 stores, in the storage unit 15, information indicating that theentry into the entry prohibited area has occurred, the occurrence dateand time of the entry into the entry prohibited area, the occurrencearea and image data when the entry into and the entry prohibited areahas been detected in association with each other. The notifying unit 13transmits, to the administrator terminal 20, information indicating thatthe entry into the entry prohibited area has occurred, the occurrencearea, the occurrence date and time, and image data when the entry intothe entry prohibited area has been detected.

(Unstable Work at Stepladder)

An example of detection of an unstable work at a stepladder will bedescribed. The detecting unit 12 monitors the image data of each areaand monitors the presence or absence of work at a stepladder. Thedetecting unit 12 determines the stepladder based on, for example, theshape and color of the stepladder. FIG. 12 illustrates an example inwhich the worker A is climbing a stepladder. FIG. 13 illustrates anexample in which two workers A and B perform work on the top plate ofthe stepladder, it is assumed that the behavior of climbing a stepladderleaned as shown in FIG. 12 by one-person work or the behavior of two ormore people riding on a top plate as shown in FIG. 13 is prohibited aswork in an unstable state.

When detecting a prohibited behavior at the stepladder, the detectingunit 12 detects that an unstable work at the stepladder has occurred.

When the unstable work at the stepladder is detected, the detecting unit12 stores, in the storage unit 15, the information indicating that theunstable work at the stepladder has occurred, the occurrence date andtime of the unstable work at the stepladder, the occurrence area, andthe image data when the unstable work at the stepladder is detected inassociation with each other. The notifying unit 13 transmits, to theadministrator terminal 20, information indicating that the unstable workat the stepladder has occurred, the occurrence area, the occurrence dateand time, and image data when the unstable work at the stepladder hasbeen detected.

(Non-Use of Safety Belt)

An example of detecting non-use of the safety belt will be described.For example, the detecting unit 12 detects non-use of the safety beltfrom image data wirelessly transmitted from a camera attached to thehelmet by the worker. FIG. 14 schematically illustrates an example of aworker whose safety belt is attached to the rod to which the safety beltis to be attached FIG. 15 schematically illustrates an example of aworker whose safety belt is not attached to the rod to which the safetybelt is to be attached

The detecting unit 12 detects the area of the worker from the imagedata, identifies the hook of the safety belt and the rod to which thesafety belt is to be attached in the area of the worker, and determineswhether the hook of the safety belt is attached to the rod to which thesafety belt is to be attached. For example, the detecting unit 12identifies the hook of the safety belt and the rod to which the safetybelt is to be attached set to a predetermined color, and determineswhether the hook of the safety belt overlaps the rod to which the safetybelt is to be attached. As the image data for determining whether thehook of the safety belt is attached to the rod to which the safety beltis to be attached, image data received from a camera installed on afloor or the like may be used as in other examples.

When the safety belt is not attached and the hook of the safety beltdoes not overlap the rod to which the safety belt is to be attached asillustrated in FIG. 15 , or when an image in which the hook of thesafety belt overlaps the rod to which the safety belt is attached cannotbe acquired, the detecting unit 12 determines that the safety belt isnot attached.

When it is determined that the safety belt is not attached and non-useof the unsafe condition of the safety belt is detected, the detectingunit 12 stores, in the storage unit 15, the information indicating thatnon-use of the safety belt has occurred, the occurrence date and time ofnon-use of the safety belt, the occurrence area, and the image data whennon-use of the safety belt has been detected in association with eachother. The notifying unit 13 transmits, to the administrator terminal20, information indicating that non-use of the safety belt has occurredas the unsafe behavior, the occurrence area, the occurrence date andtime, and image data when non-use of the unsafe work in the safety belthas been detected.

(Detection of Danger Around Worker)

Hazard detection around the worker performed to suppress the occurrenceof the unsafe condition will be described. For example, the detectingunit 12 detects danger around the worker from image data wirelesslytransmitted from a camera that can perform imaging 360 degrees attachedto the helmet by the worker. FIG. 16 schematically illustrates asituation in which the automatically traveling instrument is approachingbehind the worker wearing the camera capable of perform imaging 360degrees on the helmet. Image data received from a camera installed on afloor or the like may be used as the image data for determining whethera danger around the worker has occurred.

The detecting unit 12 monitors whether another worker or a moving bodyapproaches. For example, the detecting unit 12 determines that adangerous state has occurred around the worker when a moving body oranother worker approaching the worker is detected from a direction thatis a blind spot of the worker.

When determining that the dangerous state has occurred around theworker, the detecting unit 12 stores, in the storage unit 15,information indicating that the dangerous state has occurred around theworker, a date and time when the dangerous state has occurred around theworker, and image data when the dangerous state has occurred in theoccurrence area and around the worker in association with each other.The notifying unit 13 transmits, to the administrator terminal 20,information indicating that a dangerous state has occurred around theworker, the occurrence area, the occurrence date and time, and imagedata when the dangerous state has occurred around the worker.

(Detection of Area where Accident is Likely to Occur)

An example of detection of an area where an accident is likely to occurwill be described. The detecting unit 12 monitors the image data of eacharea, and monitors whether the workers and the construction machines aredense. FIG. 17 schematically illustrates a state in which a worker A, aworker B, a worker C, a worker D, and a worker E are working in the workarea.

For example, when the detecting unit 12 detects the number of workersequal to or larger than the reference number within a preset range, thedetecting unit 12 determines that the workers are dense and an accidentis likely to occur. The broken line in FIG. 17 schematically indicatesthe size of the range for determining whether the workers are dense.

When detecting the number of workers equal to or larger than thereference number within the preset range, the detecting unit 12 detectsthat there is an area where workers are dense and an accident is likelyto occur. The reference of the number of workers when the detecting unit12 determines whether the workers are dense may be different dependingon the number of construction machines disposed within the range.

When an area in which an accident is likely to occur is detected, thedetecting unit 12 stores, in the storage unit 15, information indicatingthat an area in which an accident is likely to occur has occurred, theoccurrence date and time of the area in which an accident is likely tooccur, the occurrence area, and image data when the area in which anaccident is likely to occur is detected in association with each other.The notifying unit 13 transmits, to the administrator terminal 20,information indicating that an area in which an accident is likely tooccur has occurred, the occurrence area, the occurrence date and time,and image data when an area in which an accident is likely to occur isdetected.

(Detection of Floor Opening)

An example of detection of an opening on a floor will be described. Thedetecting unit 12 monitors image data of each area, and detects thepresence or absence of an opening of a floor. FIG. 18 schematicallyillustrates an example in which an opening is present on the floor inthe work area.

The opening of the floor is provided for an entrance to the underfloorspace of the worker at the time of working at the underfloor space,lifting of a material, and the like. On the other hand, the presence ofthe opening may lead to an accident such as falling of the worker.

For example, the detecting unit 12 detects the presence of the openingbased on a difference in color between the floor and the opening. Whendetecting the opening, the detecting unit 12 stores, in the storage unit15, the information indicating that the opening has been detected, thedetection date and time of the opening, the detection area, and theimage data when the opening has been detected in association with eachother. The detecting unit 12 may detect the presence or absence of theopening when the scheduled time of work end has passed. When thedetecting unit 12 stores the detection result, the notifying unit 13transmits, to the administrator terminal 20, the information indicatingthat the opening has been detected, the detection date and time of theopening, the detection area, and the image data when the opening hasbeen detected.

Other Examples

In each of the above examples, the examples of detecting the unsafecondition are described. However, for verification of an accident orverification of work, image data when the unsafe condition is notdetected in addition to when the unsafe condition is detected may bestored. For example, by constantly storing image data, it is possible toverify a factor of an accident based on an operation state such as aposition and an operation direction at the time of occurrence of theaccident. By storing the image data regardless of the presence orabsence of the unsafe work when the presence of the worker or theoperation of the construction machine is detected, the image data can beused in the verification when an accident occurs or in the verificationof the safety of the work.

In the monitoring system of the present example embodiment, themonitoring device 10 detects the unsafe condition from the image dataacquired from the imaging device 30, stores the history of the detectionresult, and notifies the administrator terminal 20 of the history.Therefore, the supervisor of the construction site can recognize theoccurrence of the unsafe condition through the administrator terminal20. Since the imaging device 30 can be moved, when the work processchanges with the progress of the work, the device is disposed at aposition suitable for monitoring according to the work content, so thatan accuracy of monitoring can be improved.

The monitoring device 10 generates statistical data of the occurrencestate of the unsafe condition based on the data in which the history ofthe detection result of the unsafe condition is stored, and generates areport based on the statistical data. In the monitoring system of thepresent example embodiment, by notifying the administrator terminal 20of appropriate information necessary for safety management of theworker, the administrator or the like can more accurately recognize theoccurrence of the unsafe condition and use the information about theoccurrence tendency when performing safety measures, guidance of theworker, and the like.

Second Example Embodiment

A second example embodiment of the present invention will be describedin detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 19 is a diagramillustrating an example of a configuration of a monitoring system of thepresent example embodiment. The monitoring system of the present exampleembodiment includes a monitoring device 40, the administrator terminal20, and the imaging device 30. The monitoring system of the presentexample embodiment is a system that monitors safety of work at aconstruction site based on image data, as in the monitoring system ofthe first example embodiment.

The monitoring system of the first example embodiment detects theoccurrence of the unsafe condition for each work area, stores thedetection result, and notifies the administrator terminal of thedetection result. In addition to such a configuration, the monitoringsystem of the present example embodiment is characterized in that anindividual is identified by face recognition when an unsafe condition isdetected, and notification and statistics are individually performed.

The configurations and functions of the administrator terminal 20 andthe imaging device 30 of the present example embodiment are similar tothose of the administrator terminal 20 and the imaging device 30 of thefirst example embodiment, respectively.

A configuration of the monitoring device 40 will be described. FIG. 20is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the monitoring device 40according to the present example embodiment. The monitoring device 40includes an image data acquiring unit 41, an image recognition unit 42,a detecting unit 43, a notifying unit 44, a report generating unit 45,and a storage unit 46.

The image data acquiring unit 41 acquires the image data, the date andtime when the image data is captured, and information relating to theposition where the image data is captured from the imaging device 30.

The image recognition unit 42 detects a person from the image data andidentifies an individual by face recognition. The image data of the faceof each worker is stored in the storage unit 46. The priority of thedata used for the face recognition may be given based on the workschedule data or the entrance record for each time or region. Forexample, the face recognition may be performed by preferentiallyreferring to the registration data of the work scheduled person in thetarget area, and when the target person cannot be detected, thecollation target may be expanded like a person with an entrance recordor a registered person. By performing such collation, the processingspeed at the time of face recognition is improved. The image recognitionunit 42 transmits the information about the individual identified by theface recognition to the detecting unit 43.

The detecting unit 43 detects the unsafe condition from the image dataas in the detecting unit 12 of the first example embodiment. Whendetecting the unsafe condition, the detecting unit 43 transmits, to thenotifying unit 44, information relating to a person who performed abehavior of the unsafe condition, information relating to the unsafebehavior, an occurrence date and time, an occurrence place, and imagedata. When detecting the unsafe condition, the detecting unit 43 stores,in the storage unit 46, information relating to a person who performed abehavior of the unsafe condition, information relating to the unsafebehavior, an occurrence date and time, an occurrence place, and imagedata in association with each other. When no person is detected from theimage data, the detecting unit 43 does not output the informationrelating to the person to the notifying unit 44 and does not store theinformation relating to the person in the storage unit 46.

The notifying unit 44 transmits, to the administrator terminal 20, theinformation relating to the unsafe condition, the information relatingto the person in the image data, the date and time when the unsafecondition has occurred, the place where the unsafe condition hasoccurred, and the image data.

The report generating unit 45 generates statistical data of thedetection result of the unsafe condition. The report generating unit 45generates a report based on the statistical data and transmits thegenerated report to the administrator terminal 20.

Each processing in the image data acquiring unit 41, the imagerecognition unit 42, the detecting unit 43, the notifying unit 44, andthe report generating unit 45 is performed, for example, by a CPUexecuting a computer program. Each processing in the image dataacquiring unit 41, the image recognition unit 42, the detecting unit 43,the notifying unit 44, and the report generating unit 45 may beperformed using a semiconductor device such as an FPGA.

The storage unit 46 stores information relating to a person whoperformed a behavior of the unsafe condition, a date and time when theunsafe condition has occurred, a place where the unsafe condition hasoccurred, and image data of the unsafe condition in association witheach other. The storage unit 46 is formed using, for example, anonvolatile semiconductor storage device. The storage unit 46 may beformed by a storage device such as a hard disk drive or a combination ofa plurality of types of storage devices.

An operation when the monitoring device 40 detects the unsafe conditionin the monitoring system of the present example embodiment will bedescribed. In the following description, as in the first exampleembodiment, a case where an unsafe condition is detected in aconstruction site divided into four sections as illustrated in FIG. 3will be described as an example.

First, an operation when the monitoring device 40 detects the unsafecondition and notifies the administrator terminal 20 of the occurrenceof the unsafe condition will be described with reference to FIG. 21 .FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an operation flow when the monitoringdevice 40 detects the unsafe condition and notifies the information thatthe unsafe condition has occurred.

The imaging device 30 captures a moving image in the work area totransmit captured image data to the monitoring device 40. The imagingdevice 30 adds information about the imaging position, the imagingazimuth, and the imaging date and time to transmit the image data to themonitoring device 40.

The image data acquiring unit 41 of the monitoring device 40 acquiresthe image data, the position information, the orientation information,and the imaging date and time information transmitted from the imagingdevice 30 (step S31). When the image data acquiring unit 41 acquires theimage data, the image recognition unit 42 detects the face of the personappearing in the image. When detecting the face of the person appearingin the image, the image recognition unit 42 collates the face detectedfrom the image with the face photograph stored in the storage unit 46 toidentify the person appearing in the image (step S32). When identifyingthe person as a human figure in the image, the image recognition unit 42transmits information relating to the identified person to the detectingunit 43 together with the image data.

When receiving the image data and the information relating to theperson, the detecting unit 43 determines whether the unsafe condition isincluded in the image data. The detecting unit 43 compares the motion ofthe worker or the feature of the surrounding environment in the imagedata with the reference data registered for each unsafe condition. Whenthe reference data regarding the feature of the unsafe condition matchesthe feature data indicating the motion of the worker or the feature ofthe surrounding environment, the detecting unit 43 determines that theunsafe condition has occurred.

When the unsafe condition is detected from the image data (step S33),the detecting unit 43 calculates the position of the worker or thesurrounding environment for which the unsafe condition is detected. Whenthe position of the worker or the like for which the unsafe condition isdetected is calculated, the detecting unit 43 stores, in the storageunit 46, the detected unsafe condition as a history of the detectionresult (step S34). The detecting unit 43 stores, in the storage unit 46,the detected information relating to the unsafe condition, the personwho performed a behavior of the unsafe condition, the place where theunsafe condition has occurred, the occurrence date and time of theunsafe condition, and the image data as a history of the detectionresult of the unsafe condition in association with each other.

When the detecting unit 43 stores the detection result of the unsafecondition, the notifying unit 44 transmits, to the administratorterminal 20, the detected information relating to the unsafe condition,the person who performed a behavior of the unsafe condition, the placewhere the unsafe condition has occurred, the occurrence date and time ofthe unsafe condition, and the image data.

When the information relating to the unsafe condition, the person whoperformed a behavior of the unsafe condition, the place where the unsafecondition has occurred, the occurrence date and time of the unsafecondition, and the image data are received, the administrator terminal20 displays the detection result of the unsafe condition. Theadministrator of the construction site manages and instructs the workerbased on the detection result of the unsafe condition acquired from theadministrator terminal 20.

FIG. 22 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a screendisplayed on the display device by the administrator terminal 20. FIG.22 illustrates an example of a case where an unsafe condition occurs inthe work area B on the map of the construction site. In the example ofFIG. 22 , “WORKER C HAS ENTERED PROHIBITED AREA” is displayed in thework area B where the unsafe condition of entry into the entryprohibited area has occurred, and the entry of the worker C into theentry prohibited area is notified.

In the above description, the unsafe condition is detected after theperson in the image data is identified, but the image recognition unit42 may identify the worker who performed the unsafe behavior only whenthe detecting unit 43 detects the unsafe behavior.

Next, in the monitoring system of the present example embodiment, anoperation when the statistical data of the unsafe behavior detected bythe monitoring device 40 is generated and the report of the occurrencesituation of the unsafe condition is output will be described. FIG. 23is a diagram illustrating an operation flow when the monitoring device40 generates a report of the occurrence situation of the unsafecondition.

When the generation of the report of the detection result of the unsafecondition is started, the report generating unit 45 reads the history ofthe detection result from the storage unit 46 (step S41). When acquiringthe history of the detection result, the report generating unit 45generates statistical data of the detection result (step S42).

For example, the report generating unit 45 aggregates the number oftimes of detection of the unsafe condition for each unsafe condition,for each work area, and for each worker, and generates statistical data.After generating the statistical data, the report generating unit 45generates a report based on the statistical data (step S43).

FIG. 24 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a reportgenerated by the report generating unit 45. In the example of FIG. 24 ,a report of the detection number of one-person work for one month isgenerated. In the example of FIG. 24 , the number of occurrences of workareas for each unsafe behavior is illustrated. In the example of FIG. 24, a detailed history is set to be displayed by selecting a portionrelated to the number of occurrences.

FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating an example of a detailed history ofeach work area. FIG. 25 illustrates an example of a report including thenumber of one-person works for each worker, information relating to thedate and time when the work occurred, the name of the worker whoperformed the one-person work, and a button for displaying image dataobtained by imaging the one-person work. By outputting such a report,the supervisor can perform safety guidance and the like for each workerwho performed an unsafe behavior.

After generating the report, the report generating unit 45 transmits thegenerated report to the administrator terminal 20 (step S44). Whenreceiving the report, the administrator terminal 20 displays thereceived report on the display device.

The monitoring device 40 of the monitoring system of the present exampleembodiment identifies the worker from the image data, and stores theinformation relating to the unsafe behavior, the occurrence place, thedate and time, and the image data for each worker who performed theunsafe behavior. By generating the report based on the stored data, themonitoring device 40 of the present example embodiment can provide theadministrator or the like with information indicating a tendency of eachworker such as information relating to the worker who frequentlyperforms an unsafe behavior.

Third Example Embodiment

A configuration of a third example embodiment of the present inventionwill be described. FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating a configuration ofa monitoring device 50 according to the present example embodiment. FIG.27 is a diagram illustrating an operation flow of the monitoring deviceaccording to the present example embodiment. The monitoring device 50 ofthe present example embodiment includes an image data acquiring unit 51,a detecting unit 52, and a notifying unit 53. The image data acquiringunit 51 acquires image data obtained by imaging a work area, andinformation relating to the position at which the image data iscaptured. The detecting unit 52 detects, from the image data, at leasteither an unsafe behavior of a worker in the work area, or an unsafeenvironment around the worker, as an unsafe condition. Specifically, theunsafe behavior of the worker refers to a behavior having a high risk ofoccurrence of an accident, such as one-person work by a worker. Theunsafe environment around the worker refers to an environment in whichan accident may occur, such as a state in which the workers workdensely. The notifying unit 53 notifies a terminal of the unsafecondition detected by the detecting unit 52, and the informationrelating to the position at which the unsafe condition is detected.

Next, an example of the operation of the monitoring device 50 will bedescribed with reference to FIG. 27 . The image data acquiring unit 51acquires image data obtained by imaging a work area, and informationrelating to the position at which the image data is captured (step S51).Specifically, the image data acquiring unit 51 acquires, from theimaging device, image data captured by the imaging device installed inthe work area. When the image data acquiring unit 51 acquires the imagedata, the detecting unit 52 detects at least one of the unsafe behaviorof the worker in the work area and the unsafe environment around theworker from the image data as the unsafe condition (step S52).Specifically, the detecting unit 52 analyzes the image data, and detectsthe behavior of the worker or the surrounding environment as the unsafecondition when they are related to any of preset information (forexample, reference data). When the detecting unit 52 detects the unsafecondition, information relating to the unsafe condition detected by thedetecting unit 52 and information relating to the position at which theunsafe condition is detected are notified to the terminal (step S53).

The monitoring device 50 of the present example embodiment detects anunsafe behavior of the worker in the work area or an unsafe environmentaround the worker as an unsafe condition from image data obtained byimaging the work area, and notifies the terminal of information relatingto the unsafe condition and information relating to the position. Bynotifying the terminal of the detection result in this manner, theadministrator or the like who manages the work of the worker in the workarea can obtain information relating to the position where the unsafecondition has occurred and what kind of unsafe condition has occurredthrough the terminal. Therefore, the monitoring device 50 of the presentexample embodiment can make notification of appropriate informationnecessary for safety management of the worker.

Each processing in the monitoring device of the first to third exampleembodiments can be performed by a computer executing a computer program.FIG. 28 illustrates an example of a configuration of a computer 60 thatexecutes a computer program for executing each processing in thelearning device. The computer 60 includes a CPU 61, a memory 62, astorage device 63, and an interface (I/F) unit 64. The administratorterminals of the first example embodiment and the second exampleembodiment have similar configurations.

The CPU 61 reads and executes a computer program for executing eachprocessing from the storage device 63. The arithmetic processing unitthat executes the computer program may be configured by a combination ofa CPU and a GPU instead of the CPU 61. The memory 62 includes a dynamicrandom access memory (DRAM) or the like, and temporarily stores acomputer program executed by the CPU 61 and data being processed. Thestorage device 63 stores a computer program executed by the CPU 61. Thestorage device 63 includes, for example, a nonvolatile semiconductorstorage device. The storage device 63 may include another storage devicesuch as a hard disk drive. The 1/F unit 64 is an interface that inputsand outputs data to and from an imaging device or another informationprocessing device.

The computer program performed in each process can be stored in arecording medium and distributed. The recording medium may include, forexample, a magnetic tape for data recording or a magnetic disk such as ahard disk. The recording medium may include an optical disk such as acompact disc read only memory (CD-ROM). A nonvolatile semiconductorstorage device may be used as a recording medium.

In the first example embodiment and the second example embodiment, anexample of the monitoring system in the construction site is described,but the monitoring system of each example embodiment can also be usedfor monitoring an unsafe condition in a place other than theconstruction site. For example, by monitoring the unsafe condition usingthe monitoring system of each example embodiment in a facility wherepeople gather, such as a factory, a school, a stadium, a game hall, acommercial facility, or a transportation facility, it is possible tomonitor the occurrence of the unsafe condition and take a safety measurebased on the report.

The present invention is described above using the above-describedexample embodiments as exemplary examples. However, the presentinvention is not limited to the above-described example embodiments.That is, the present invention can have various aspects that can beunderstood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the presentinvention.

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority fromJapanese patent application No. 2020-37532, filed on Mar. 5, 2020, thedisclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

-   10 monitoring device-   11 image data acquiring unit-   12 detecting unit-   13 notifying unit-   14 report generating unit-   15 storage unit-   20 administrator terminal-   30 imaging device-   41 image data acquiring unit-   42 image recognition unit-   43 detecting unit-   44 notifying unit-   45 report generating unit-   46 storage unit-   50 monitoring device-   51 image data acquiring unit-   52 detecting unit-   53 notifying unit-   60 computer-   61 CPU-   62 memory-   63 storage device-   64 I/F unit

What is claimed is:
 1. A monitoring device comprising: at least onememory storing instructions; and at least one processor configured toaccess the at least one memory and execute the instructions to: acquireimage data obtained by imaging a work area and information relating to aposition at which the image data is captured; detect, from the imagedata, at least one of an unsafe behavior of a worker in the work areaand an unsafe environment around the worker as an unsafe condition; andnotify a terminal of information relating to the unsafe conditiondetected by the detecting means and information relating to a positionat which the unsafe condition is detected.
 2. The monitoring deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is furtherconfigured to execute the instructions to: store the detected unsafecondition, information relating to a position at which the unsafecondition is detected, information relating to a date and time when theunsafe condition is detected, and the image data in association witheach other in a storage; and calculate statistical data based on datastored in the storage and generate a report including the statisticaldata.
 3. The monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the atleast one processor is further configured to execute the instructionsto: acquire the image data captured in each of a plurality of the workareas, and notify the terminal of information relating to the each workarea in which the unsafe condition is detected.
 4. The monitoring deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is furtherconfigured to execute the instructions to: identify a person whoperformed the unsafe behavior by image recognition; and outputinformation relating to the identified person to the terminal.
 5. Themonitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the at least oneprocessor is further configured to execute the instructions to: outputan alarm via an alarm device in the work area when the unsafe conditionis detected.
 6. (canceled)
 7. A monitoring method comprising: acquiringimage data obtained by imaging a work area and information relating to aposition at which the image data is captured; detecting, from the imagedata, at least one of an unsafe behavior of a worker in the work areaand an unsafe environment around the worker as an unsafe condition; andnotifying a terminal of information relating to the detected unsafecondition and information relating to a position at which the unsafecondition is detected.
 8. The monitoring method according to claim 7,further comprising: storing the detected unsafe condition, informationrelating to a position at which the unsafe condition is detected,information relating to a date and time when the unsafe condition isdetected, and the image data in association with each other; andcalculating statistical data based on stored data, and generating areport including the statistical data.
 9. The monitoring methodaccording to claim 7, further comprising: acquiring the image datacaptured in each of a plurality of the work areas; and notifying theterminal of information relating to the each work area in which theunsafe condition is detected.
 10. A non-transitory program recordingmedium recording a monitoring program for causing a computer to execute:processing of acquiring image data obtained by imaging a work area andinformation relating to a position at which the image data is captured;processing of detecting, from the image data, at least one of an unsafebehavior of a worker in the work area and an unsafe environment aroundthe worker as an unsafe condition; and processing of notifying aterminal of information relating the detected unsafe condition andinformation relating to a position at which the unsafe condition isdetected.